Sambalpur: Family members of Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) student Chinmayee Priyadarshini Sahoo, whose body was found on Wednesday over 12 hours after she allegedly jumped into a power channel in Odisha’s Sambalpur district, have alleged foul play in the incident.
“Since there were some marks on her neck region, we suspect that she was strangulated to death,” said the deceased’s mother, who lodged a complaint in this regard with police.
The family suspect involvement of a male friend behind her mysterious death.
Chinmayee’s mother said that she had spoken with her daughter around 9.20 pm as she was supposed to return to Bhubaneswar in a bus after attending her convocation last evening. “I heard an unusual sound similar to that of a person getting choked. I disconnected and heard the same sound when I called again. Later, we were informed that she jumped into the power channel,” she added.
Meanwhile, police have detained Chinmayee’s friend Pritiman Dey of BJB Nagar in Bhubaneswar with whom she had gone to the power channel bridge, last night.
Chinmayee, who hailed from Rampur Madanpur area in Kalahandi district, was a student of the Information Technology department of the varsity. She attended the university’s convocation programme on February 28 and received her degree. She went to the power channel bridge with her friend in the evening. It is being alleged that she jumped into the power channel after an altercation with him.
Chinmayee’s sister said Pritiman was residing near her rented house in Bhubaneswar.
The Registrar of the University had initially lodged a complaint with police regarding her disappearance last night. “The registrar had informed about the student falling into the power channel. Based on the complaint, we had launched a search operation last night and recovered her body this morning,” said Burla SDPO, Satyabrata Das.
VSSUT Vice-Chancellor, Bansidhar Majhi said, “The convocation was held for the 2022 batch and it was around 10 pm that I got information about the incident and subsequently visited the spot.”
